The relationship between insight and clinical factors for persons with schizophrenia

This correlational study examined the relationship of insight with positive and negative symptoms and level of functioning among persons with schizoph renia or schizoaffective disorder. Poor insight as a symptom of schizophren ia is the conceptual framework, Thirty-seven people receiving assertive com munity treatment, inpatient hospitalization, or outpatient treatment were a ssessed using 2 self-rating insight scales, the Scale for Assessment of Pos itive Symptoms (SAPS), the Scale for Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) , and the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF), A significant negative co rrelation was found between insight: and positive formal thought disorder, No significant relationships were found between insight and negative sympto ms or level of functioning, Reactions to the self-rating insight tools sugg est necessary revisions of the insight tool. Copyright (C) 2000 by W.B. Sau nders Company.